Winners on Mobile

New Casinos

Casino Sites – March 2019

If you are looking for the best casino sites, then you’ve come to the right place. We have carefully reviewed UK licensed casino sites and put together a Top 10 list for February. To learn more about each casino site, click on ‘Read Review’ below the star rating. If you want to spin the reels straight away, click the green ‘Play’ button, which will take you straight to the chosen casino site. Good luck!

We explain bonus terms and wagering requirements in an easy to understand language. No legal jargon, no bullshit! We say how it is so you can make the right decision!

Mobile Casino Sites

As you can probably guess from our name, we are really into mobile casinos. Due to the soaring popularity of smartphones, mobile-friendliness is hugely important when it comes to joining an online casino site. Whether it’s at home or on the go, you want to have a seamless and fun experience when playing casino games online.

Most UK casino sites have managed to make their platforms mobile-friendly; however, there are platforms that provide a better experience than others. We have tested most of them, and you can find the results on our dedicated mobile casino page.

Just a heads up: We always recommend to sign up with a mobile casino in-browser and not download the app, and here is why:

No storage space on your phone required

Same login across all your devices

Instant access to all games

There is also a common misperception that mobile casinos are light versions of its desktop version and provide limited functionality to players. While this was true a few years ago were happy to tell you that today, casinos on desktop and mobile provide all the same features such as depositing and withdrawing money, updating account information or playing slots and table games. In fact, mobile casinos probably offer a little bit more as players can enjoy casino games on the go. Anytime, anywhere!

Game Selection

For most players, game selection is one of the essential points to consider when joining a UK online casino. Ideally, you want to stick around with a casino site for a while and maybe even unlock the VIP status at one point. For this to happen, the platform needs to offer a variety of games so you won’t get bored.

Most online casino sites offer traditional games such as roulette, blackjack, and slots, but the number of casino offers range from a couple of hundred to over 1500 games. Also, you will quickly notice that there are only very online casinos that offer less popular games, such as Sic Bo or Baccarat. Head over to our review section to find operators that meet your needs the best.

We recommend to sign up with operators that feature at least 500 casino games to make sure you have a wide variety of choice at all times.

Live Dealer Games

Casino sites with Live dealer games have grown in popularity because they offer a real casino experience from the comfort of your home. For those that don’t know, live dealer games feature real dealers who are streamed directly onto your computer screen. During the game, you can interact with the dealer in real-time who will respond via the stream or chat.

When it comes to live dealer games, casinos might have different rules in place. For example, some providers may remove you from streams if you’ve been inactive and haven’t made a bet or two for several rounds. Don’t worry though because it is possible to re-join for the next round and take a break at any time.

Some might wonder about the prerequisites for casino live streams. Luckily, there are close to none. Thanks to fast internet speeds and optimised games, you can stream at home and even on-the-go via your mobile phone.

Quick Tip: If you can stream a video on Youtube without hiccups, you are most likely able to play live dealer games.

Casino Software

When you sign up at a UK online casino, it’s important to keep in mind that most of them do not develop their own casino software. Instead, operators rely on third-party games developers so they can focus on what they are best at, offer bonuses and promotions to keep you happy as a player!

The best online casinos offer games from more than one developer and allow you to choose from a wider selection. NetEnt, Microgaming, Playtech, Novomatic, and Quickfire, all count towards the most popular game’s developers for the UK market. Most brands we recommend offer selected games from two or more developers, but if not, we will explicitly state this in the casino’s review.

Generally, there are two types of online casino software available to users including downloadable and instant-play. Downloadable casinos are installed on computers and players are required to launch it to play games. Instant-play, however, is played in-browser and are far more popular than downloadable casino software.

One thing that’s important to remember is that online casino software is constantly improving. The game develops listed above are constantly working hard on providing players with the best possible experience.

Return to Player (RTP)

RTP (Return to Player) is the term casinos use to describe the percentage of all the wagered money a game will pay back to players over time. These payrates are calculated over a long period and provide only an average return to player, so it’s not guaranteed that you will win this back. It’s important to consider which casinos have high RTPs as it means players will be more likely to earn money.

While the RTP entirely depends on the game being played, most casinos publish their RTP for each game in the game rules on their website. Operators sometimes publish payout reports from the testing agencies mentioned above. The differences between the payout rates of each of the casinos do not differ much. Most UK online casinos offer a high return to player rate with slight variations.

However, there’s a significant difference between the RTP of online slots and land-based slots. In general, the payout percentages at brick and mortar casinos are much lower than online casinos; this is due to the land-based casino’s higher operating costs.

Bonus Offers

All casino operators provide different bonus offers to entice players. There are numerous bonuses offered, from extra spins to no deposit bonuses or cashback programmes. A good point to consider when joining a UK online casino is whether the casino provides bonus offers to only new players or regular ones.

As we’ve mentioned, there are hundreds of available casino bonuses around and many might appear great but after reading the fine print you’ll realise the wagering requirements or other restrictions make it almost impossible to receive the full bonus.

It’s important you research the bonuses offered and read the fine print to really understand how they work. To help you out, we’ve actually made a guide on best online casino bonuses and have reviewed which providers offer the best bonuses.

Payment Options

Just like the game selection offered at online casinos, it’s important to know which payment options are accepted. Deposits should be made easily and quickly, allowing players to jump right in when they’re ready and payouts should be an easy and exciting experience.

The best online casino providers will accept a number of different payment options, from traditional debit and credit cards to PayPal, Skrill, Neteller and much more. Players who want their winnings quickly will have to join an online casino offering speedy withdrawals.

It’s also important to remember that there may be restrictions on certain payment methods such as minimum and maximum limits on deposits or withdrawals, as well as fees. To help you out, we’ve reviewed which casinos are the best for debit or credit card, PayPal and pay by phone payment methods.

New Casino Sites

You might have noticed that a lot of the older casino sites offer the same range of games from established software developers. The reason is simple. Back then, with only a handful of gaming companies to choose from, casinos signed long-term, exclusive deals with operators which prevents them from signing new contracts today. On top, legacy code often makes it tricky for such operators to update and modernise their websites.

In recent years, there has been a new wave of casino sites entering the UK market, and they have a few things in common: First, recently launched operators have deals with multiple software companies enabling them to offer a huge range of casino games with jaw-dropping graphics. Second, new casino sites feature beautiful designs on both desktop and mobile, and third, they offer massive welcome bonuses since they yet have to build their customer base.

Security at UK Online Casino Sites

The very first thing we look into at existing and new casino sites is their level of safety and security. As a player, you have to be sure that you can trust the operator with your data. No exception!

Licensing

In Great Britain, it’s compulsory that all operators providing online gambling services to customers are in possession of a license issued by the UK Gambling Commission. Remote casino sites must follow the strict standards and regulations of the Commission, which analyses the safety and fairness of games, as well as the technical security and player protection.

Most online casinos will go the extra mile and test the fairness and integrity of their games by using testing agencies which provide an analysis of the RTP (Return to Player) and RNG (Random Number Generator). Such agencies include

eCOGRA (E-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance)

Technical Systems Testing (TST)

Gaming Laboratories International (GLI)

Gaming Associates

Other European countries will have their own gambling authorities and some of the licenses you’ll see on casino sites will include the Gibraltar Gambling Authority, the Malta Gaming Authority, Antigua & Barbuda’s Directorate of Offshore Gaming and the Alderney Gambling Control Commission.

Please note that the UK only recognises gambling permits issued by the UK Gambling Commission and regards all other licenses as INVALID.

Customer Service

When things don’t go according to plan, it’s important that you are with a casino site that cares about you. Whether it’s an inquiry about your withdrawal, a chargeback request, or just a question about the latest promotions, you want to have an agent that speaks your language. In our reviews, we look for multi-language support, and ideally 24/7 live chat or phone options.

Most queries won’t be time-critical and can be resolved in a matter of minutes. From our experience, live chat is by far the most convenient support method when it comes to general and non-sensitive queries such as questions about bonuses or simple account detail updates.

For more serious queries, e.g., chargebacks, we recommend to email the operator to obtain written proof which might come in handy later on.

Technical Security

Certified software and standard security technology such as SSL ensure that data exchanged between you and the casino cannot be viewed by any third-party unless you granted explicit permission. All transactions including deposits and withdrawals should use 128-bit encryption; the same banks use for their online services.

It’s easy to spot whether a gambling operator has implemented the required security mechanisms to keep your personal and financial information secure at all times. Before signing up with a casino site or making a deposit, check whether you can see a green lock in the browser bareither by itself or followed by the word ‘Secure’ (see screenshot on the right. If you do, then the site fully encrypts your data during file transfers. You can go ahead!

At SmartphoneCasinos.co.uk, we really care about your safety & security hence all online casinos on this site meet the security standards mentioned above!

Land-Based Casinos Vs Online Casinos

For anyone struggling to make the decision between an online casino and land-based casinos, we’re here to help. There are various advantages to playing with an online casino, but there are also a few disadvantages.

For example, because online casino sites are, well, online, there are no size limitations. This means they can offer dozens of more games than a land-based casino ever could. In addition, online casinos sometimes allow players to try out their games for free and, most importantly, you don’t need to wait for someone to finish playing their game before you can enjoy it. Lastly, online casinos can be played whenever and wherever! For more information, you might want to visit www.casinostoplay.com, an independent portal for UK casino sites with a large number of reviews and test results.

However, playing online means users miss out on the exciting and vibrant casino experience. Players won’t feel the excitement of playing with other players and will be unable to make friendships over their favourite games. Instead, players will be stuck at home and all alone.

But land-based casinos aren’t all that great either, and we believe they actually have many more disadvantages to them. For example, players need to physically visit the casino in order to play, they need to wait their turn to play and due to size limitations, the casino may not even offer your favourite game.

On top of all that, some casinos have limited working hours which means the games aren’t available 24/7. They also accept fewer payment methods but offer an entertaining and exciting environment to play in.

At both casinos, however, players will get to experience numerous benefits and bonuses for playing. It all just depends on what you, as the player, want.

FAQs

Yes! The UK Gambling Commission issues official licenses to online casinos that make online gambling legal under the 2005 Gambling Act. To find the license status for each casino, you may refer to the Gambling Commissions public register.

No, you don’t have to pay any taxes on winnings from online gambling, and you also don’t need to declare this income on your HMRC tax return. However, you can be liable to pay tax if you are a professional poker player as you might get classified as a skill player.

UK online casinos focus on real money players, but most operators allow you to try out their games for free. In such case, the casino will provide you with coins that allow you to play at slots and other casino games just as you would with real money. Please note: You won’t be able to cash out any winnings when playing with free coins even if you hit the jackpot!

No, online casinos casinos give you the same chance to win the jackpot as any hotel in Las Vegas. Actually, since you receive more bonuses and promotions during your online play, your chances to win might even increase a bit. But please remember that there is no guarantee so only play with the money that you can afford to lose.

Players can enjoy the full range of casino games including slots, roulette, blackjack and live dealer games. Most casinos also offer what they call progressive jackpot games, e.g., Mega Moolah, with potential winnings of several million Pound.

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All bonuses and promotions are subject to the terms and wagering requirements of the individual operators. Please refer to the Terms & Conditions before signing up. In most cases, the offer only applies to new player accounts, and the amount listed on this website is the maximum bonus amount. If in doubt, please contact the customer service team of the operator's website.

Please note that whe information on this website is for informational purposes only. It is your sole responsibility to ensure that online gambling is allowed in your jurisdiction. The content on this site is subject to change and we do guarantee accuracy of the information provided.